Messing With You
by Maeve Bran
Summary: After the events of Dominion 10.19 Daniel and Vala have a talk.


**Title**: Messing With You

**Author**: Maeve Bran

**Rating**: M

**Summary**: Daniel and Vala talk about Ascension and life, the universe and everything.

**Disclaimer**: Don't own Stargate SG1, just borrowing for a little fun.

**Spoilers**: Set after "Dominion". Spoilers for everything.

**Notes**: Written for djgirl2224 as a pick me up. I know it is rather angsty at the begining but I promise there is lots and lots of fluff at the end. Thanks to aerynb for the beta.

**Words**: 3138

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Vala was hanging around Daniel's lab with nothing to do. The team had just vanquished Ba'al and Adria had Ascended so for the time being SG1 was on a well deserved stand down. Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell had gone to Kansas to see his family. Teal'c had gone to visit Ry'ac and his small family on a free Jaffa world. Lt. Col. Samantha Carter was holed up in her lab working on the plans for the Intergalactic Mid-Way Station. (She swore that was her idea of a fun time and the rest of the team decided not to debate the issue as long as she left the base for at least 12 hours every day.) That just left Vala and Daniel. The latter was working on catching up on all the translations he let slide while he had been a Prior. Vala had nothing to do. Usually Daniel had some sort of Goa'uld tablet that she could work on translating but all the stuff brought back by the SG teams lately was in Ancient.

Vala sat on one of the stools at the center counter and unlike other times when bored and in Daniel's lab she didn't pick up or disturb anything. She just sat there staring into space. She was so quiet Daniel forgot she was even there. He finished the tablet he had been translating and was about to turn off the lights and go home for the night when he finally noticed that Vala was there.

"Vala?" Daniel asked, concerned by her silence.

"Hmm?" Vala noised as an answer.

"Are you going to sit here all night?" He teased.

"No. Of course not, darling." Vala replied as she finally looked around and realized how late it was. "I'll just go to my quarters."

Daniel looked at her. Really looked. For the first time in the last twenty-four hours he realized just how tough Adria's Ascension must have been on her.

"Why don't you come home with me tonight?" Daniel invited before he could stop himself.

Vala brightened up a bit but none of the usual witty innuendos came forth. "Sure. I'd like that."

Daniel was getting concerned. Vala should have at least made one suggestive remark at his invitation. "Come on, let's go."

He walked over to her and put an arm around her as he guided her out of the office. He locked up and escorted her to the check point on level 16 where he signed them both out and removed both of their patches. He got her into his jeep and drove to his house.

Daniel had considered stopping to pick up something to eat but decided to go for delivery instead. Once inside the house Vala found her way to the couch and absently picked up the remote and turned on the TV. It was of course on the History channel and she didn't change the channel. Daniel saw that she was occupied for the moment so he called the team's favorite Chinese food restaurant and ordered Vala's favorite food as well as his own. Now there were forty-five minutes to kill until the food arrived.

Daniel sat beside her on the couch and watched the special on ancient religions. They were just getting to the Egyptian goddesses when the doorbell rang. Daniel returned with the food just in time to hear the special talk about the goddess Amaunet. He swiftly put the food down on the table and grabbed the remote.

"Daniel?" Vala asked, showing the first signs of life all day.

"Were you actually watching that?" he inquired.

"Yes. I found it fascinating. It was strange to see the Goa'uld system lords in their earthly roles." Vala answered.

"Ok I'll leave it on while we eat." Daniel started pulling containers of food out of the bag and handed her a pair of chopsticks. It had taken Vala some time to master the art of eating with them but she was very proud of the skill. He got up again and grabbed a couple mugs of tea for them to drink and some plates.

Vala had moved to sit on the floor with her legs under the coffee table, so Daniel joined her down there. Soon plates were full and they were eating while the TV droned on about Hathor and her role as mother goddess. Daniel had managed to eat some but when the tale of Hathor dancing naked to cheer up Ra was mentioned Daniel lost his appetite.

"Something wrong, darling?" Vala asked at the next commercial.

"No. Nothing." Daniel replied.

"Then why aren't you eating? You skipped lunch today."

"Not hungry."

"I think it's more than that. This is the second time you've blanched at the show." Vala paused and thought. "Wait a second. Both Amaunet and Hathor weren't just Egyptian goddesses were they?"

"You're too perceptive." Daniel conceded.

Vala picked up the remote and turned off the television. "So tell me about it?"

"I'd rather not." He looked at her disappointment. "All right, since you asked so nicely."

He took a drink of tea before continuing, "Amaunet was the name of the Goa'uld that took my wife as host."

Vala gasped. She scooted over and placed a hand on his arm hesitantly. Daniel placed his other hand on hers and gave her a small smile of gratitude.

"She was Apophis's queen. She even bore him a child. A harcesis. Amaunet had me in a grip of the ribbon device when Teal'c came in and shot her to save me. My wife lived just long enough to tell me she loved me after her snake had died. I used to love studying the Egyptian pantheon when I was in grad school. The temples of Hathor in Upper Egypt were among my first playgrounds when my parents were helping with the excavation. Now I can't stand the mention of the goddess." Daniel said without a hint of irony.

"What did Hathor do to you?" Vala asked quietly.

"Hathor," Daniel started. He paused to take off his glasses and rub the place where they had rested all day as if tired of them. In reality, Daniel was trying to delay the inevitable. "Hathor, well, she um. How much do you know about how the Goa'uld reproduce?"

"I know that the DNA of the race intended as hosts is needed." She looked at him and saw that his face was a shade of red she hadn't seen before. "You mean that she wanted... from you?"

"Yep. She got it too but we were able to destroy all the larva before it could leave the base." Daniel explained.

"I really do need to see if I can get your file and read it. It seems that you have had a far more interesting life than it would seem at first glance." Vala said.

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked as he finally returned to his food.

"When we first met, you seemed like, how does this planet call it? A geek?." He glared at her. "Yes, a geek. A very handsome one at that but definitely not warrior. I was never so surprised as when you managed to best me and put me in that cell. It was why I sought out a tablet that would lead me here to see you again." Vala continued. "You have continued to surprise me ever since."

"Um thanks." Daniel said as he returned his attention to his food yet again. Vala did likewise.

When they had eaten as much as they wanted, Daniel got up to put the leftovers in the fridge until later. He wasn't very happy about the show Vala had chosen but it seemed to perk her up and for that he was glad. Now to get her to talk about her feelings.

Daniel returned to the living room and found Vala on the couch. He sat down on the other end and waited. Vala had perked up a bit but she was still more subdued than normal.

"Daniel?" Vala finally broke the silence, "Can I ask you a rather personal question?"

"Um. Go ahead but I reserve the right not to answer if it's too personal," He answered.

"Does it hurt to Ascend?" she asked softly, barely above a whisper. Daniel could see she was barely holding it together, so he scooted over and put an arm around her. He pulled her closer to him.

"The Ascension itself? I don't think so but I wouldn't know for sure," he replied.

"Why? Don't you remember?" Vala pulled back to look in his face, puzzled.

"Oh I remember, now," he looked into her face. "It's that both Ascensions were after rather painful deaths."

"Both?" she asked in surprise.

"I guess you really haven't read my file," he teased before sobering. "The first was about five years ago. I saved a planet from a nuclear disaster but got exposed to a lethal dose of radiation. I can recall every excruciatingly painful moment as my insides turned to liquid and I choked to death from it. I can recall having to go through a thorough decontamination process, not to help me but to prevent the med staff from being exposed to harmful doses while treating me. I can still hear the goodbyes of my teammates. It's the stuff of nightmares. But after I released my burden and went with Oma there was no pain. I was just energy and could do anything. Anything but interfere in my friends lives even if they were about to be killed."

Daniel got up then and went to the kitchen and returned with a bottle of Scotch and two glasses. He poured two rather generous portions and handed one to Vala before he downed his in one gulp and poured another. He sat back down and just sipped that glass.

"Sorry, as I said it is rather painful to remember," Daniel apologized. "Where was I?"

"You were talking about being powerless to interfere," Vala reminded him as she drank nearly half of her glass.

"Finally I interfered and got kicked out. So you can imagine my surprise when I was offered Ascension a second time," Daniel continued.

"How did that happen?" Vala asked.

"It was during the final fight with the Replicators and Anubis." Daniel took another sip of his drink. "I had been beamed aboard a Replicator ship and the Replicator version of Sam was probing my mind for hidden knowledge of the Ancients. She had promised if I let her do that she wouldn't attack the SGC but she did anyway. While she was in my mind I was in hers. I managed to get control of the Replicators and stop them long enough for the real Sam and her Dad to activate the device on Dacara. This angered the Replicator Sam and she turned her arm into a sword and stabbed me through the heart as the weapon destroyed every last Replicator in the galaxy. Unlike the first time, Oma was not there to meet me. I walked into a diner and found her waiting tables. She told me it was my choice this time, I could Ascend or die." Daniel paused again to take another drink. This was not a conversation he wanted to have sober.

"So what happened?" Vala inquired as she placed her now empty glass on the coffee table.

"I found out that Anubis was half Ascended because he had tricked Oma into helping him Ascend and The Others had only sent him back half-way to punish Oma. She finally decided to fight Anubis herself and save the people of this galaxy. I Ascended and immediately chose this time to come back." Daniel downed the rest of his alcohol and laughed ruefully, ⌠I▓m still trying to get all the security camera footage erased."

"Why?" Vala asked suddenly very interested.

"Because I was sent back to Jack's office completely naked." Daniel answered as his cheeks burned red.

"You mean there is footage of you naked? I must make friends with the security personnel," Vala teased.

"It is very brief since Jack grabbed the SGC flag and handed it to me. It was rather embarrassing but I was glad to be back home." Daniel finished.

"Still, you've seen me naked so it would only be fair for me to see you," Vala said suggestively.

"When? I never- What are you talking about?" Daniel sputtered.

"On the Prometheus. I know you said you didn't look when you changed my outfit but I don't believe that is possible. You had to look," Vala insisted.

"Yeah I guess I did," Daniel admitted.

"I knew it," Vala shrieked as she launched forward to playfully hit him.

Daniel caught her wrists and she kept going and ended up in his lap. Her lips were just millimeters away from his. He leaned that small distance and kissed her. He had intended for it to be a brief friendly kiss but he found he just couldn't let her go. He tightened his arms around her and deepened the kiss.

Vala returned the kiss. She wrapped her arms around him and climbed further onto his lap. She ran her hands up and down his back until her hands found their way beneath his shirt.

Daniel pulled back in shock when her hands made contact with his skin. He looked her in the eyes and saw none of the playfulness he expected. Instead she looked serious about him. He hoped he read her right because he'd regret this in the morning if she was just trying to relieve her boredom with him. "You'd better not be messing with me," he whispered before leaning into to kiss her again.

Vala lightly kissed him before she pulled back enough to answer, "I never have, Daniel."

Daniel pulled back, stunned. He was trying to assimilate her statement with her behavior over the last couple of years. He just couldn't do it. Part of his brain screamed at him that it didn't matter- he had a willing woman in his arms and he should take advantage of it, but Daniel had become accustomed to ignoring that part of his brain. Instead he asked, "What about the time you showed up in my bed last year? When we were still connected by the effects of the bracelets."

"If you remember my answer to your question about messing with you was 'Is it working' not that I was in fact messing with you. I told you the truth about my past- something I had never done before." Vala replied as she slipped off of his lap. "I teased you because it made you squirm but I have always been prepared to follow through if you were willing. It has never been just about being bored. I care for you more than I can say. If that is not good enough for you I'm sorry." Vala started to stand but Daniel's hand shot out and wrapped around her wrist. He pulled her back down on to the couch beside him.

"That's what I've wanted to hear," Daniel leaned over and kissed her again.

This time it was Vala who pulled back, "You mean all this time, all I had to do to get you to kiss me was admit I genuinely cared for you?"

"Yes. I needed to know that you were or are as serious about me as I am about you. I have never been into casual sex," Daniel replied.

Vala moved closer before saying, "I could never have guessed." She leaned up and kissed his jaw. "So who was the last lady you had a meaningful relationship with?" she asked suddenly curious.

"Sha're," Daniel said quietly, knowing that he had told Vala enough of his past for her to know the significance of the name.

Vala didn't know what to do at that confession so she just sat there very still. Daniel put his hand on her shoulder and spoke again, "Vala, it's ok. For the first time since Sha're, I'm ready to have a relationship and I want it to be with you. But I have to be sure."

"Then be sure," Vala said as she kissed him again.

She again slipped her hands beneath his shirt and ran her hands along his back and sides. Soon that wasn't enough and she grasped the hem of the shirt in her hands and pulled it up. Daniel took the hint and separated his mouth from hers and took off the shirt. Before he resumed kissing her, he stood and she joined him. He kissed her and started walking backwards to his room as Vala followed, with her lips still fused to his. Halfway there, Daniel slipped his hands beneath her t-shirt. He stroked her sides and felt her shiver against him. He broke their kiss long enough to pull off both her shirt and camisole. She reached for his belt and removed it while he was removing her bra.

They finally reached the bedroom. Daniel kissed her bare shoulder and then trailed kisses down her chest until he was kneeling before her. He removed her belt and undid her pants and removed her boots. He kissed her tummy as he lifted her feet and removed her pants and socks. Once he placed her second foot on the ground he kissed his way back up to her face. He led her over to the bed and was about to lay her down but she stopped and kissed his chest while she removed his boots, socks and pants. She stood back up and kissed him again. He moved her backwards until the bed hit the back of her legs and she fell. Her arms were around him so when she fell he was pulled on top of her.

Any thoughts Vala may have harbored, over the last two years, about whether or not he was capable were finally put to rest. Daniel was as red-blooded as any other male she had ever run across. But that was the last coherent thought Vala had for a few hours. Vala had tried to take control of the love-making but Daniel wouldn't let her.

"Don't make me tie your hands to the bed," Daniel growled in her ear. Vala's eyes widened. Daniel didn't let her say anything to that, he kissed her soundly while his hands drifted down to the waist band of her underwear. Vala let out a soft moan of pleasure and quit trying to do anything but just feel.

Several hours later, Vala woke to find her head pillowed on his arm. She'd had a nightmare but waking up in his arms quickly dispelled any lingering bad feelings. Just having Daniel beside her was enough to comfort her. She snuggled back into his arms and fell back asleep.

-x-


End file.
